Talib, Ali ibn Abi (Ali ibn Abi Talib)

He who has a thousand friends has not a friend to spare
And he who has one enemy will meet him everywhere.
-- Ali ibn Abi Talib

You (humans) think that you are insignificant, while there is a great universe contained in you.
-- Ali ibn Abi Talib

If poverty were a man, I would have slain him.
-- Ali ibn Abi Talib

A poor man is like a foreigner in his own country.
-- Ali ibn Abi Talib

Do not be too hard, lest you be broken; do not be too soft, lest you be squeezed.
-- Ali ibn Abi Talib

A man's measure is his will.
-- Ali ibn Abi Talib

There is no wealth like knowledge, no poverty like ignorance.
-- Ali ibn Abi Talib

I have never won a debate with an ignorant person.
-- Ali ibn Abi Talib

Mutilate not even a rabid dog.
-- Ali ibn Abi Talib

A wise man's bosom is the safe of his secrets.
-- Ali ibn Abi Talib

Man is a wonderful creature; he sees through the layers of fat (eyes), hears through a bone (ears) and speaks through a lump of flesh (tongue).
-- Ali ibn Abi Talib

Live amongst people in such a manner that if you die they weep over you and if you are alive they crave for your company.
-- Ali ibn Abi Talib

If someone's deeds lower his position, his pedigree cannot elevate it.
-- Ali ibn Abi Talib

A virtuous person is better than virtue and a vicious person is worse than vice.
-- Ali ibn Abi Talib

Seek help from those who were satiated and then hungry, not from those who were hungry and then satiated.
-- Ali ibn Abi Talib

Only he who has the power to punish can pardon.
-- Ali ibn Abi Talib

Patience is of two kinds: patience over what pains you, and patience against what you covet.
-- Ali ibn Abi Talib

Contentment is the capital which will never diminish.
-- Ali ibn Abi Talib

Value of each man depends upon the art and skill which he has attained.
-- Ali ibn Abi Talib

Endurance is composed of four attributes: eagerness, fear, piety and anticipation (of death). So whoever is eager for Paradise will ignore temptations; whoever fears the fire of Hell will abstain from sins; whoever practises piety will easily bear the difficulties of life and whoever anticipates death will hasten towards good deeds.
-- Ali ibn Abi Talib

Conviction has also four aspects to guard oneself against infatuations of sin; to search for explanation of truth through knowledge; to gain lessons from instructive things and to follow the precedent of the past people, Because whoever wants to guard himself against vices and sins will have to search for the true causes of infatuation and the true ways of combating them out and to find those true ways one has to search them with the help of knowledge, whoever gets fully acquainted with various branches of knowledge will take lessons from life and whoever tries to take lessons from life is actually engaged in the study of the causes of rise and fall of previous civilizations.
-- Ali ibn Abi Talib

Justice also has four aspects depth of understanding, profoundeness of knowledge, fairness of judgement and dearness of mind; because whoever tries his best to under- stand a problem will have to study it, whoever has the practice of studying the subject he is to deal with, will develop a clear mind and will always come to correct decisions, whoever tries to achieve all this will have to develop ample patience and forbearance and whoever has done this has done justice to the cause of religion and has led a life of good repute and fame.
-- Ali ibn Abi Talib